Some contaminated material will be unearthed to make room for park features. When contaminated material is excavated, it is handled separately and taken off site for proper disposal. When the cap is disturbed it will be replaced by the Superfund two-foot cover.

Additionally, CPD has an environmental engineering contractor hired specifically to ensure that the environmental construction requirements are adhered to and they are always present when the cap is being disturbed. EPA is not providing daily oversight, however, we examine the monitoring reports and conduct site visits to ensure the work is done properly.

March 2014

EPA has reviewed and approved the Chicago Park District's design to ensure that the construction of a park on this site is done in an environmentally safe manner. EPA will continue to oversee the park construction as the work is implemented this summer and fall. Honeywell International Inc. and its contractors continue quarterly maintenance work at the site under EPA supervision.

October 2012

Honeywell International Inc. and its contractors are conducting maintenance work at the site during the fall of 2012 under EPA supervision. Residents may see equipment and activity particularly in the northwest corner of the site near 28th and Troy Streets. The work will ensure that the drainage system is functioning properly.

The Chicago Park District continues with its plans to develop the former Celotex Superfund site into a park facility—currently designated as Park 553. It recently shared some concepts for the park at a community meeting in order to get some public feedback. For more information on the Chicago Park District, go to: http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/

May 2012

The Board of Commissioners of the Chicago Park District is advancing plans to develop the former Celotex Superfund site into a park facility. It recently authorized entering into a contract with an architecture firm for park improvements in Park 553 at 2800 S. Sacramento Ave in the Little Village neighborhood. For more information, see: Board letters (PDF)(4pg, 292K)

May 2011

The response activities at the Celotex Site are complete. The residential portion of the cleanup was finished in September 2009. The main site portion of the cleanup was completed in February 2010. Honeywell International Inc. submitted removal action completion reports for both portions. These reports are available to the public at the information repositories for the Site. The EPA has written three pollution reports for the work conducted at this Site. Those reports are available on this website, as well as in the information repositories.

Because the Main Site response action did not remove waste, but covered it, the cover must be monitored to ensure that it remains intact and still protects human health and the environment. Honeywell follows a post-removal site control plan approved by EPA, in order to monitor the cover at the Site. Currently, the cover is inspected once a month; in the future it is likely that the frequency of monitoring will decrease to once a quarter. Monitoring is not necessary for the residential portion of the site because the contaminated soil was removed and replaced with clean soil.

Currently the City of Chicago is involved in legal steps to acquire the property and facilitate its development under the jurisdiction of the Chicago Park District.